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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087741">Dirt, Daemons &amp; Dipsticks</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_PrincessCat/pseuds/The_PrincessCat'>The_PrincessCat</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Final Fantasy XV</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Everything Hurts, Gen, Nightmares, Panic, World of Ruin (Final Fantasy), hopeless</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 21:07:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/30087741</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_PrincessCat/pseuds/The_PrincessCat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompto has been staying with Cindy keeping Hammerhead safe. The nightmares he has been having since the train ride into the heart of Gralea continue to plague him. He needs to keep everyone safe; Cindy included. What that means is he must teach Cindy how to fend for herself.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Prompto Argentum &amp; Cindy Aurum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Lost in Wars - A FFXV World of Ruin Zine</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Dirt, Daemons &amp; Dipsticks</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Written as a Digital PDF Add on Fic for the 2020 Lost in Wars - FFXV Zine</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>“Now, twist that.” Cindy instructed as she stood over Prompto’s shoulder. The lights overhead were bright, so bright that sometimes it made Prompto’s head hurt. However, without those lights, everyone in Hammerhead would be dead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Twisting just tight enough, Prompto stood back with a small smirk. The past week? Oh, hell, Prompto couldn’t tell time until Ignis showed up and told him which holiday they were going to pretend to celebrate. However, he knew that he had spent a considerable amount of time in Hammerhead, recently. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>During that time, he had been learning more about cars and maintenance from the Grease Monkey Goddess herself than he ever thought he could. In fact, it was interesting, and more difficult than hunting daemons and risking his life for what felt like the hundredth time. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Like that?” Prompto turned, putting the garage to his back and looking at Cindy. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cindy was lucky. Almost immediately after Noctis had vanished into the crystal, Hammerhead had become the new Hunter HQ. The two wire fences were erected and the high powered daemon repelling lights were powered up. That had been Cid’s handy work. He had taken the headlights from the Regalia and began to reproduce similar bulbs to insure the safety of humanity. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It had been five years since the sun had stopped making an appearance in their world. Prompto wasn’t even sure what the sun looked like anymore. Prompto remembered that people often called him ‘sunflower’ in the past, and even now in the darkness as he tried to force a fake smile across his lips. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s turn her on an’ see.” Cindy smiled, and really, if anyone was still sunny in the darkness it was Cindy. She could see the light in any situation. She could smile even when there was nothing to smile about. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She walked up to the old truck, and climbed inside. With a smile, she turned the key in the ignition. For a moment, it sounded like the engine would flood and they had failed. However, on the fourth turn, the engine kicked to life. Unable to control himself, Prompto jumped, tossing his fist to the sky. “YES!”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Almost immediately, a few of the hunters watching the perimeter hushed him. Prompto fell silent as Cindy climbed from the truck chuckling. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Sorry.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Ya ain’t gotta be sorry.” Cindy walked, tossing her hand on her hip with a flourish. “Let’s go celebrate. Paw Paw said he was cooking up a feast.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto was running, the sounds of daemons were on every side, the dead trees closing in as he pushed faster. Screams. There were screams from fallen comrades and Gladio’s booming voice commanding the Glaives. There was a glowing light straight ahead and the distinctive </span>
  <em>
    <span>shink</span>
  </em>
  <span> of a red giant swinging his sword. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Then he saw it, skidding to a halt. The large red glowing sword, rivaling only Gladio’s great swords, had cleared away the trees in a wide circle around him. Amongst the felled trees were many bodies. At first, Prompto couldn’t see their faces. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Fear overtook him but his feet were moving before he could stop. The Red Giant remained immobile as if it didn’t see him. The faces of his friends materialized on the faces of those fallen; Gladio, Ignis, Talcott, Cid, Wiz, Cindy.... </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto found he was screaming and there were tears rolling down his face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Prompto!” There was a hand on his shoulder and he was being shaken awake. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Prompto!” It was Cindy’s voice, and Prompto was pulled out from his nightmare into the room he had in Cid’s garage. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Heartbeat and breathing both elevated as Prompto’s eyes focused on the room in front of him. He was sitting up, tears and sweat were rolling down his face. As Cindy sat next to him, concern etched in her pretty face. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“You alright, hun? You have another one a yer nightmares?” Her voice was hushed, but there was a soft and calming effect to it. Prompto nodded slowly, his brain finally finding its grounding. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. I will be.” It was dark, but he knew where he was. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Lets get ya some tea or maybe Paw Paw left us some a that powdered hot chocolate ya like so much.” Cindy stood, offering her hand to Prompto. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto was soaked to the bone and a little shaky, but there was no way after that dream he was going back to sleep any time soon. He reached out his hand and let Cindy and the surprising amount of strength she had in her upper body lift him to his feet. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto’s bed was pushed in the corner of the loft overlooking the garage, and as they moved towards the ladder, they passed Cindy’s bed. It had been weird sharing the same living space as a girl at first, especially someone that Prompto admired so much. He had gotten over it when the exhaustion had hit, and now it was just normal. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto’s body complained as he descended the ladder, not fully ready for being awake, but not wanting to go back to sleep, either. Cindy had already disappeared into the kitchen, the light beckoning him through the work space. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>It was strange. Prompto could clearly remember the first time that he had seen this shop. They had pushed the Regalia for what had felt like hundreds of miles, Noctis, Gladio and himself. They were sweaty, exhausted and covered in dirt. Prompto had complained the whole way as Gladio threatened to kill him if he stopped pushing. It had sucked, but it had been so worth it. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cindy had been there waiting for them, and she had laughed at them, speaking in her thick drawl. She had been kind, even as Cid had tried to whip them into shape. The garage had been open, little bits of sunlight pouring in. It had made the garage feel alive. Without the sun, everything seemed dead. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto pushed through the darkness, and slipped into the kitchen where Cindy was humming away at the sink. There was no longer running water, at least no water that could be trusted. All water came from boiled rainwater or from a distillery run out of Lestallum. Cindy scooped just enough water out of the bucket for their drinks, placing the kettle over a fire they had built in the corner. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>“Electricity ain’t for the small things. Them lights need ‘em before everything.”</span>
  </em>
  <span> Cid had been very clear, and as such, they cooked most of their food over a campfire as dead and dried wood was plentiful. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>There was a comfortable silence that spanned between them as the kettle sat over the fresh fire. The water came to a boil, and Cindy went about making their drinks. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Ignis is comin’ soon to take Paw Paw ta Lestallum.” Cindy moved to the table where Prompto sat, her hands shaking a bit. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“That’s a good thing, isn’t it? It's not safe here for anyone.” Prompto took the drink, smiling down into the brown liquid. His eyes watched as the chunks of powder swirled about on the surface.. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah. He ain’t too sure ‘bout leaving home, though. Hammerhead is the only place Paw Paw feels at home.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto looked up, frowning up at Cindy. “He’ll be fine. No place safer than in Lestallum with Iggy. I mean, you should think about leaving-”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“No.” Cindy cut in before Prompto even finished. There was a slight aggressive tone that Prompto had never heard before. It died down almost as quickly as it had come, leaving Prompto confused. “I ain’t leaving. Paw Paw will be safer somewhere else, but I ain’t leaving home. Maybe,”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Cindy seemed to have an idea, a spark of something that wasn’t there before. It was similar to the same excitement that she got when she was working on her cars. “Maybe you can teach me ta shoot a gun. An’ before you say nothing, I ain’t a weakling. I can care for myself.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Whoa, Whoa! Cindy. I would never!” Prompto threw his hands up in front of his face in defense. “Fine, but we do it in the safety of the compound. No running out to take on Red Giants, or anything.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Deal.”</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>~~~~</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Turned out, Cindy was a much better shot than Prompto would have ever guessed. At first Dave didn’t seem like he wanted their supply of ammunition to be depleted unnecessarily, but that was before Prompto promised to replace it when they started up their forge. After all, the cars needed replacement parts as well. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Prompto lay on his stomach, pointing his pistol in the distance. Cindy lay next to him, one of his spare guns grasped between her much smaller hands. “You know, if you get much better, they’ll put you on the wall!” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Nah. I got my job, as you got yours. But I feel better knowing how ta use one a’ these.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Just promise you won’t go looking for trouble. Kay? I don’t know if I could lose you like-” Prompto let out a shuddering breath, not able to say the words on his lips. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>“Promise.” Those words meant more than anything in Eos. If Prompto could just keep one more of his loved ones safe, that was enough for him. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>The darkness of the World of Ruin is something that always has fascinated me, so being able to mess with the psychological aspects it would have and shove that into a tiny zine fic was fun. </p>
<p>Thank you for reading. I appreciate all kudos and respond to all comments.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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